VANUATU 2017 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Vanuatu is a multiparty parliamentary democracy with a freely elected government. The president is head of state. Parliament elected Tallis Obed Moses
president in July after the former president died in June. Following a snap election in 2016, which observers considered generally free and fair, parliament elected
Charlot Salwai as prime minister. Civilian authorities maintained effective control over the security forces. The most significant human rights issues included: police abuses; violence against women; and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) persons. The government made efforts to prosecute and punish abuses by officials, although a degree of police impunity persisted.